Orthopedic wedge



| M. ABRAMS 2,932,912

ORTHOPEDIC WEDGE A ril 19, 1960 Filed July 14, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheetv 1 LEO M. ABRAMS INVENTOR.

BYMCQVN ATTORNEY Ai'aril 19, 1960 L. M. ABRAMS ORTHOPEDIC WEDGE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 14, 1958 LEO M. ABRAMS INVENTOR.

BY 2 g ATT RNEY United States Patent ORTHOPEDIC WEDGE Leo M. Abrams, Wantagh, N.Y.

Application July 14, 1958, Serial No. 748,335

3 Claims. (CI. 36-76) This invention relates to an orthopedic device for correcting and preventing pronation. More particularly the invention is directed to a wedge which is adapted to be secured to the outersole of a spring heeled shoe for children. For purposes of this discussion the outersole is defined as the bottom surface of the shoe including the sole, shank and heel portions thereof.

Pronation is caused by the misalignment of the bones in the foot, the os calcis in particular, resulting in the rotation of the longitudinal arch inwardly and downwardly. Consequently, the weight of the body is no longer borne by the outer portion of the foot, or cuboid arch, as in the case of the normal foot, but is transmitted through the longitudinal arch. Eventually the longitudinal arch is weakened and collapses creating a condition commonly referred to as fallen arches. Because the weight of the body is borne in an abnormal manner pronation and fallen arches are usually accompanied by great discomfort to the person.

Pronation is very common with children and heretofore several methods have been devised to prevent and correct the condition. One form of correction consists of providing an ancillary arch, or cookie, within the shoe. The cookie is inefficient and often useless, in the form it is most commonly found. It is constructed from resilient material which does not provide adequate support for the longitudinal arch.

A second method often used to prevent or overcome pronation is to insert a wedge in the heel structure of the shoe. This procedure has two very glaring disadvantages. In the first place because of the construction of the shoe the wedge, when inserted in the heel, extends from the tip of the heel to the rear line of the shank portion of the shoe. The wedge in this instance cannot provide support for the longitudinal arch. it is well known that to provide adequate support for the longitudinal arch it is necessary to provide support for the scaphoid or navacular bone in the arch. The scaphoid bone is the keystone of the longitudinal arch and if pronation is to be prevented or corrected it must be properly supported. With proper support for the scaphoid, the foot and the s calcis in particular is rotated into its normal position and the tissue connecting the several bones in the foot are given an opportunity to strengthen so that they may be able to provide adequate support for the bones, as is done in a normal foot. Since the scaphoid bone normally overlies the shank region of the shoe, it is clear that the wedge inserted in the heel cannot provide the needed support. The second disadvantage lies in the need for the services of a shoe repairman to insert the wedge in the heel of the shoe. Aside from disturbing the original lasting of the shoe, the services of the shoe repairman add materially to the cost of the shoe.

In accordance with the invention there is provided an orthopedic wedge which is adapted to be secured to the outersole of a shoe, said Wedge having a heel and a shank portion formed to coincide along the longitudinal extent 2,932,912 Patented Apr. 19, 1960 thereof, with the median line of the shoe and the medial outer edge of the shoe respectively. The wedge includes transversely extending inclined opposing faces, the inclination extending outwardly from the median line to the medial edge. The shank portion of the wedge extends longitudinally from the heel portion and the faces of the shank portion further being inclined outwardly along the longitudinal extent thereof.

It is an object of the invention to provide an orthopedic wedge which avoids one or more of the limitations of prior wedges.

It is another object of the invention to provide an orthopedic wedge which corrects or prevents pronation by properly aligning the bone structure in the foot, while providing support for the longitudinal arch.

it is still another object of the invention to provide an orthopedic wedge which may be secured to the outersole of a conventional shoe without altering the shoe.

Other objects of the invention are to provide an orthopedic wedge which:

(1) Includes provision for conforming the wedge to the surface contour of the outersole and which wedge may be applied to either shoe.

(2) Has provision for adjusting the magnitude of correction prior to its application on the shoe.

(3) Is inexpensive to fabricate and requires no skill to apply.

(4) May be placed in any lateral position beneath the longitudinal arch to support specific regions of the arch and foot.

(5) Provides support to the scaphoid bone in the longitudinal arch for rotating the bones in the foot to their normal relative positions.

The novel features that I consider characteristic of the invention are set forth in the appended claims; in the invention itself, however, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood. from the following description of the specific embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying draw in gs in which- Fig. 1 is a front view of a wedge embodying the principles of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the Fig. l Wedge.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a childs shoe showing a wedge attached to the outersole thereof.

Pi g. 4- is a side view of a childs shoe showing a wedge attached to the outersole thereof, and a skeleton outline of the medial side of the foot.

Fig. 5 is a side view of a childs shoe with a wedge attached thereto, which wedge has been moved forward towards the toe of the shoe.

Fig. 6 is a perspective View of a childs shoe showing another form of a wedge constructed in accordance with one form of the invention. The wedge is positioned within the shank portion of the shoe and spaced from the medial edge of the shoe to support a particular region of the arch.

Fig. 7 is a cross sectional view taken along line 7-7 in Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawings there is represented in Figs. 1 and 2 an orthopedic wedge ill embodying the principles of this invention. The wedge generally designated 10 comprises opposing non-parallel faces formed in a heel portion 11 and a shank portion 12. The opposing faces of wedge 10 are inclined or tapered transversely and diverge from an edge 14 to an opposing edge 16, see Fig. 2. The wedge 10 is preferably formed or molded as a unitary member. As will be seen in Fig. 2 the shank portion is distinguishable from the heel portion 11 by an abrupt change in the surface contour as indicated at the dotted line 15.

In addition to the aforementioned transverse taper the opposing faces of the shank portion 12 diverges along its length, from the line 15 to: a marginal edge 20. The abrupt change in contour of the wedge It), as indicated at line 15, marks the forward boundary of the heel portio'n 11 and the rear boundary of the shank portion 12.

Extending transversely across both faces of the shank portion 12 are parallel spaced slots 13, separated by face portions 19. The slots 18 are generally shallow and preferably aligned. opposite one another on the opposing faces of the shank portion 12.

Referring to Figs. 3, 4 and 7 of the. drawings there are represented. therein a. bottom view, and a cross sectional view and a side view respectively of a shoe 23 showing the wedge ltl. attached to the outersolethereof. In Fig. 4 in. addition there is. shown. a skeleton outline of. the medial side of the foot including the scaphoid bone 25. As is conventional the outersole is formed. to include a sole. 2.4a, a heel 24b and. a shank, 24c. Also as seen particularly in Fig- 3 the heel portion 11 and the shank po'r tion 12. are formed preferably to coincide along the longitudinal extent of edge 14 with the median or centerline of the outersole, and at edge 16 with the medial edge of the outersole. It will be understood that this construction is preferred but not limiting. As will be seen hereinafter there is a great deal of latitude in shaping the wedge l".

Previously it was disclosed that a cause for pronation was the improper orientation of the bones in the foot and the failure of the. tissues of the defective foot to properly support the longitudinal arch and the scaphoid bone in particular. When a. child is fitted with a conventional shoe it is well known that shank of the outersole tends to give or yield under his weight. Where there is a tendency to pronate or where the condition exists, the weight of the child is placed on the medial side of the longitudinal arch. The medial side of the shank arch is therefore subjected to an abnormally high pressure and yields to a greater than. normal extent. This lack of support permits the longitudinal arch to collapse to a greater extent thus increasing the pressure on the shank. The process is regenerative and frequently the longitudinal arch collapses completely.

It is well known that the scaphoid bone in the longitudinal arch is its keystone. If the scaphoid is properly supported, it is possible to maintain the foot bones in their normally oriented relative positions, thus preventing collapse of the longitudinal arch. In addition the tissues of the foot are afforded an opportunity to grow normally and eventually take over the function of sup porting the. longitudinal arch.

While it is often sufficient to provide adequate support for the scaphoid bone 25, it is preferable to furnish means for transferring the weight of the foot from the longitudinalarch. to the cuboid arch while maintaining the bones of the foot properly oriented. Recognizing the importance of. providing both corrective measures, 1 have invented an orthopedic wedge which is capable of performing both functions simultaneously. It is seen, in Figs. 3 and 4 that wedge 10 underlies the medial side of the heel 24b and the shank 24c of the outersole 24. The wedge 19 is adapted to be secured to the outcrsole 24 as by gluing or any other suitable method. It will be noted that to secure the wedge 19 to the outersole 24 is an extremely simple operation and does not require skill of any sort. The heretofore described transverse inclination or taper causes the shoe to rotate outwardly when it is worn there by maintaining or orienting, as the case may be, the bones of the foot in their proper relative positions.

The shank portion 12 of wedge it) is positioned directly beneath the scaphoid. bone 25, as seen in Fig. 4. The support for the scaphoid bone 25 is provided by supporting the shank 24c and preventing it frornyielding under the weight of the wearer. The land portions 19 are intended to bear directly on a walking surface, a.

4. floor for example, and so furnish the required support for the shank 240.

The face of wedge 10 contiguous with the shank 24c and heel 24b conforms to the contour thereof. The previously described longitudinal inclination or taper on the shank portion 12 creates a varying thickness which, as seen in Fig. 4 slightly exceeds the height of the shank 240. This slight extension of the wedge 10 beyond the heel 24b also contributes to the outward rotation of the shoe. it will also be noted that when wedge 10 is properly positioned on the outersole 24, the face remote from the outersole is substantially planar, a condition resulting from the taper along the length of the shank portion 12. While the. planar condition of the remote wedge face is considered to be highly desirable, it, cannot always be achieved since the contour of the outersole will vary with the manufacture of the shoe. The planar. surface. does tend. to equalize. the. load. along, the longitudinal. extent of the shank. portion. 12..

Wedge 510 is. preferably made of rubberv or other.

pliable material so thatit. may be bent to conform to the outersole contour in, a simple and, facile manner. The hardness of the rubber is not a crtical, consideration for the proper functioning of wedge 10. It should be hard enough to. supportthe shank 24c, yet not so hard as, to discourage flexing. Also it is obvious that the hardness of the robber used will depend greatly on the depth of,

slots 1:; and the number found along the length of the shank portion 12. It follows therefore that one important function of slots 18 is to reduce the thickness of. the shank portion 12 in selected positions for, increasing the pliability of the wedge 10 without substantially reducing the support for the scaphoid bone via the shank 24c.

Wedge it? is also adapted, to be applied to either the i left or the right shoe. In this connection the opposing,

faces are symmetrical with respect to one another, as seen in Fig. 2. t

The. aforegoing, discussion was directed to the principal. application of wedge in, that is to fully support the scaphoid bone- 25 while at, the, same time aligning the bonesv of the foot by rotatingthe foot outwardly. It will now be shown that the novel construction of the wedge and the fact that it is designed to be afii'xed to the outer sole of a shoe makes possible with minor modification, a number of highly beneficial. functions. In the first place, it is well known that the degree of support, that is the thickness. of wedge beneath the scaphoid bones.

prescribedwill differ for diiferent individuals. There is provided in the design. of wedge 1.0 means for adjusting,

the thickness thereof to meet specific requirements. Clearly, if a portion of. the cud of wedge 10, adjacent to edge 25; is removed the wedge is aflixed to the outersole so that anewly constructed edge, 20 for example, is positioned forward of or beneath the scaphoid 25 the thickness, or support is reduced. It is seen in Fig. 5 that the remote face of the shank portion is now within the cavity formed by the shank 240. Accordingly a limited but controlled yielding of the shank 24c is permitted. Because of the longitudinal taper on the shank portion 12 the thickness of wedge. is inversely related to the. length of wedge removed. Therefore, pursuant to an.- other feature of the invention the slots 18, for a given taper, provide a convenient indiciaof increments ofnarrowing wedge thickness, and may be used'to obtain desired corrections.

in an analogous manner the'degree of rotation of the foot may be adjusted. If the rotation-is to be reduced a portion of the wedge 10 adjacent to the medial edge 16 I moved and eliminated. It will be recalled that to prevent or correct pronation the important consideration was to support the scaphoid bone while rotating the foot outwardly. A wedge 1t? shaped as shown in Fig. 6 can provide both actions. It is felt however that with the heel portion 11 removed there is a slight discomfort to the wearer since the wedge acts as a fulcrum about which the heel and toe of the foot can rotate. The continuous support afiorded by a full Wedge 10 is therefore not available.

It is also within the contemplation of this invention that the opposing faces of wedge 10 be free of slots 18' as seen in wedge 10 in Fig. 6. While the slots 18 facilitate the attaching and conforming operation, and also provide an excellent indicia for selecting the proper thickness of wedge, they are not required for providing the required support. As previously explained the support is provided by the face portions 19.

' Fig. 6 also illustrates that it is not necessary to conform the medial edge of the wedge to the medial edge of the shoe. It is sufiicient to position the shoe in the region between the median line and the medial edge to obtain the aforementioned rotation of the shoe, provided adequate support of the scaphoid bone is furnished.

The various features and advantages of the design and construction disclosed are thought to be clear from the foregoing description. Various other features and advantages not specifically enumerated will undoubtedly occur to those versed in the art, as likewise will many variations and modifications of the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated, all of which may be achieved without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

I claim: 7

1. For a shoe having an outersole formed to include a heel and a shank, an orthopedic wedge adapted to be secured to the outersole comprising: a heel and shank portion having median and medial edges formed to coincide with the median line and the medial outer edge of the heel and shank of the outersole respectively, said heel and shank portions having transversely inclined opposing and further having longitudinally inclined opposing faces diverging from the heel portion.

2. For an article of footwear having an outersole including a sole, a heel and a shank, an orthopedic wedge adapted to underlie and to be secured to the shank between the median line and the medial outer edge of the outersole comprising a pair of nonparallel substantially planar opposing faces, said faces diverging forwardly from the heel toward the sole and outwardly from the median line toward the medial outer edge of the outersole when said wedge is secured to the article of footwear defining a g arying longitudinal and transverse thickness between said aces.

3. For an article of footwear having an outersole including a heel and a shank, an orthopedic wedge comprising a heel portion and a shank portion, and having transverse diverging upper and lower faces, adapted to be secured between the median line and the medial outer edge of said outersole, said upper and lower faces further diverging forwardly in said shank portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent OTHER REFERENCES The Master Shoe Rebuilder, vol. 13, No. 1, January 1953, chart No. 2. (Copy in Div. 11, 36-76A.)

The Master Shoe Rebuilder, vol. 13, No. 2, February 1953, chart No. 3. (Copy in Div. 11, 36-76A.) 

